


Coming Home

by Sentinel_of_Mischief



Category: Marvel, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Brothers, Gen, Post-Avengers (2012)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-13
Updated: 2015-07-13
Packaged: 2018-04-09 02:21:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4330143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sentinel_of_Mischief/pseuds/Sentinel_of_Mischief
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post-Avengers. Loki needs to be punished for his deeds...but will Thor approve of Odin's sentence?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is an "old fic" for me. I wrote it shortly after Avengers came out back in 2012, so clearly with Thor: The Dark World, this fic became obsolete headcanon. However, I still like it, and it's one of the longer pieces I've written. I am adding the first part now, and will have the rest of it up soon. I hope you enjoy it!

June 2012

The cell was underground, in the labyrinth of underground tunnels and prisons beneath the grand palace of Odin. Only the faint, flickering flame of torches in the corridor gave indication that this chamber was occupied.

The sound of rustling chains came from the back corner of the cell. Thor Odinson peered into the black from the corridor, enchanted iron bars separating him from his brother on the other side. His face contorted as the smell of urine and feces ripped through his senses. He gripped Mjolnir tightly in his hand in indignation and fury. Despite the things Loki had done, kin or not, this was no place for Thor's brother.

The guard by Thor's side jangled his key ring as he found the key to the prisoner's cage. The bolted door swung open, and the guard stepped back to let Thor through.

Thor stepped through to the other side of the iron bars, ducking so not to hit his head on the low ceiling dug from the earth surrounding him. His boot sloshed into a puddle on the dirt floor, and he shuddered. The stench was even worse inside, and Thor gagged as he made his way to the back of the cell.

Kneeling down in front of the prisoner, Thor placed Mjolnir by his side. Beckoning for the guard to take a torch from the corridor wall and come closer, Thor placed his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Oh, Loki." He whispered with a heavy heart. Loki shrugged out from under Thor's hand and scooted away from him as far as his chains would allow. "What have they done?"

Mud was caked onto Loki's skin and clothing, and matted into his hair. His clothing was threadbare, ripped and hanging off of him as it would a skeleton. His pallor was one of a ghost, pale blueish white, and his skin stretched over his bones in a grotesque fashion. On his ankles and wrists sat thick iron chains, all of which were attached to the stone wall behind them. Dried blood encrusted the places where the chains held him, created by days of struggle to be freed. Loki's green cape, which once had regally fanned out behind him, a symbol of his power and triumph now was twisted awkwardly around him as a makeshift blanket. He shook violently from a combination of cold, fear, loss of blood, and hunger.

The guard held the torch closer to give more light, and Thor gazed upon Loki's face in full light for the first time since entering the cell. The sight wrenched Thor's dinner from his stomach. He turned around and emptied out the contents onto the already-foul floor. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he turned once more to his brother.

Loki's eyes, which used to gleam with determination and fire, were glazed over. They were a dull, lifeless red instead of their old regal green-blue. Loki turned his head to gaze at Thor, but gave no indication of knowing him. That was not the worst, however. It was Loki's lips that had made Thor sick to his stomach. His lips had been sewn shut with a needle and thread. Dried blood covered Loki's stubbly chin, and down his neck and chest. As Loki drew one ragged breath after another, fresh blood oozed from his mouth, the slightest movement tearing his lip wounds open further. It was a ghastly sight. Thor knew what must be done.


	2. Chapter 2

Thor stormed into the throne room of the palace where the Allfather spent most of his days. "I demand to know why my brother has been treated in this despicable manner." He angrily sat Mjolnir down on the ground, cracking the floor.

Odin looked down at his son from the throne where he sat. "He is not your brother." he said quietly.

"This gives you no reason to treat him in this manner!"

Odin stood from his throne and came to stand beside his son. He sighed deeply. "It had to be done." He laid a hand on Thor's broad shoulder.

Thor moved roughly from under his father's hand. "You raised him as your son. Would you do this to me?" He challenged.

"Loki is a trickster who wields magic and cannot be contained by conventional means. I had no choice. Do not think it pained me not to do this."

Thor's eyes flashed, and thunder rumbled overhead. "You could have sent for me!"

"You were away cleaning up Midgard after Loki's chaos. What was there for you to do?"

"I could have stopped you from breaking Loki." Thor clenched his fists.

"He attempted to take over an entire world." Odin pointed out. "Is this not what he deserves?"

Thor looked at Odin in disbelief. "Aye, if Loki was not none other than the man you raised from a babe. But he is still family."

"Then what do you suggest, my son?" Odin asked. "Should he be allowed to run free so he may cause more chaos?"

"No. But verily, I do have an idea that might be agreeable to all." Thor took a deep breath. "What say you to me taking Loki with me to Midgard?"

"Absolutely not!" Odin said angrily.

Thor raised his hand to calm his father. "Hear me, please. If Loki comes to Midgard with me, I and the humans called the Avengers will keep our collective eyes on him. In order to stay, he must help the mortals rebuild. He will help as many as he has killed or harmed. Perhaps in this, he will learn a lesson."

Odin pondered this carefully. "You believe he will listen to you?"

"I would be the one rescuing him from that vile prison you have shut him away in."

Odin crossed the room back to his throne, considering Thor's plan. It was a good plan, for sure. "Against my better judgment, I shall agree to this. But the first sign of Loki causing trouble, and he returns to me."

Thor nodded once, shortly. "The deal is struck then."

"The deal is struck." Odin agreed. Thor grabbed his hammer and hurried out of his presence. Odin ran his hand through his whitening beard and sighed. He hoped he had made the right decision, and that Thor knew what he was doing.

Thor entered the prison purposefully, his cape sweeping out behind him. The guard followed behind him as he had before. When they reached Loki's cage, Thor turned to the guard. "Release him." Thor commanded.

The guard complied, unlocking the cell door and stepping inside to unchain Loki. Thor stepped inside the cell as well, this time bracing himself for the pungent smell. As his chains fell to the ground, Loki looked at Thor, and for the first time in months had a brief expression of interest in his eyes. The look was gone quickly, replaced with the same dull stare. Thor knelt down beside his brother as the last restraint fell to the ground. "Brother." He said quietly. "I have made a pact with father about your release."


	3. Chapter 3

The guard complied, unlocking the cell door and stepping inside to unchain Loki. Thor stepped inside. 

Thor reached for the small dagger by his side and gingerly cut the threads holding Loki's mouth shut. He winced as the wounds on Loki's lips opened up once more.

Loki weakly rubbed his bloodied, stubbled jaw. It was stiff and sore from not having moved in so long. "Why?" He managed to whisper faintly. His throat and mouth were dry as a desert. The attempt to speak turned into a bout of coughing. Loki doubled over as the rattling cough overwhelmed his fragile figure. Thor held his brother in his arms to steady him. "There is time for that later. First we must get you away from this pigsty."

Thor thanked the guard and left with Loki propped up on his arm. He was barely able to walk in his state, but Thor knew his brother well enough to know he wouldn't take kindly to being carried. He also wasn't certain he could trust Loki to not run away, though he dared not dwell on that thought. Thor hoped this act of kindness to Loki would show him that Thor still cared for him as a brother and a friend, just as he always had. Perhaps the time locked away had made him see the error of his ways, though deep in Thor's heart, he knew Odin's punishment may not have been enough to change Loki for the better. Again he quelled the nagging doubts in his head that told him he was being a fool for giving Loki this kindness. Maybe the voices in his head were right. But he couldn't just leave Loki there to die. You don't abandon family.

Thor took Loki up to his chambers and immediately began giving orders to the servants who served the royal family. "I need a bath drawn, and food-enough that Volstagg could eat and be filled. I need new clothes, and a healer." The servants whisked Loki away, and Thor sat down in his oversized chair by the fire to wait.

It took a long time for Loki to be clean. It had been about a year since he had bathed last. The water was filthy as soon as he sat down in the tub. The warmth from the water felt nice. He had been cold for so long.

Loki had plenty of time to think while the servants scrubbed him down from head to toe in the bath. For sure, Loki was grateful for Thor's act of mercy towards him, that much he was certain. He was unsure of why Thor would have extended that kindness to him. The last two times he and Thor had crossed paths, things had not ended well.

Thor deserved the trouble he had wrought on Midgard, Loki thought. After all, Thor thought of him as a child with, what was it he said? Ah yes, "imagined slights". Loki's lip curled remembering the insult.

The servants bathing him saw his face and backed away nervously, his reputation well known. Loki realized their discomfort, and attempted to smile reassuringly. To the servants, it was a smile more akin to crocodile tears, luring them in for whatever scheme Loki had come up with.

Loki sighed. "I do not wish to harm you." he tried to tell them.

Thor came over to the bathing room. "Is everything all right in here?"

"I believe I have frightened the servants. Unintentionally, of course." Loki said, a sheepish, yet bemused smile on his face.

Thor gave Loki a wary look, unsure whether to believe him. He decided to give his brother the benefit of the doubt. He gestured towards Loki and addressed the servants. "Carry on with your task. There is food and drink prepared for him now."

Again, Loki was left stunned and surprised. Why was Thor being so kind to him? He saw the look Thor had given him. Loki had seen the mistrust on Thor's face before, many times. He was accustomed to the lack of trust, to be held at arm's length. It was familiar. To be treated kindly, despite the havoc he created by his own hand, was incredibly puzzling to Loki.

He sighed happily as he was scrubbed down and put into a warm fluffy green robe. It had been so long since he had felt warm and clean that the concept was foreign to him. Loki glanced back at the tub and wrinkled his nose at the blackened water. The servants had drained and refilled the tub twice in an attempt to wash all the grime and filth off him.

The servants led him carefully back to where Thor sat in wait for Loki, because Loki was still so weak. He resented the help they offered, but he wanted to keep what was left of his pride intact by not falling flat on his face. He graciously thanked the servants for their assistance and dismissed them as he lowered himself into the large, overstuffed chair across from Thor.

Between Loki and Thor sat a large table, filled to the brim with meats, breads, and vegetables. Loki eyed the spread hungrily. "Today I may best you at eating," he said, grabbing a large slab of meat. He tore in with his hands and teeth, not bothering to use a plate or silverware. The sores on his mouth sent searing pain through his head, but he ignored it best he could for he was too hungry.

Thor leaned back in his chair and watched, amused at seeing his brother having such a large appetite. Loki was never the one to feast with gusto as did the other Asgardians. He preferred to eat only as he needed, and to watch and listen to the others at the table. "Indeed, you may, brother." Thor agreed and poured two pints of mead for him and Loki.

Loki licked his fingers, then chugged the mead down in two gulps. He felt he had died and gone to Valhalla. It was strange to him to have these luxuries again.

Finally, Loki had his fill of food and drink. Slumping back in his chair, full and slightly intoxicated, he ran his hand over his now-clean stubbly beard. He wanted to shave, but now was not the time. Questions were in need of answers.

"Why?" Loki asked. "Why would you release me from my lot I so deserved?"

Thor leaned forward and placed his elbows on the table between them. "Because you are still my brother."

Loki opened his mouth to speak, and Thor put up a hand to quiet him. "I know by blood we are not brothers. But we have a shared history, and we have a shared future. We have battled together, saved each other's hides on more than one occasion, and we know each other well. Does this not resound in your memory? Have you no recollection of our triumphs and trials? Was it really so bad to be called the Son of Odin?"

Loki looked down at his hands in his lap, studying his raw wrists on which not long ago were in chains. "You swore to the Allfather you would hunt the monsters down and slay them all." he said quietly.

A flicker of recognition crossed Thor's face as he searched for the memory of his spoken words. "Loki, we were but children when I said that. Surely you have not thought I wished to kill you all these years."

"But I am a monster; a Jotun. I am merely living up to the reputation of my people. Why would you free a monster?" Loki leaned his elbows on the table as well and looked at Thor with fire in his eyes.

Thor reached out and took Loki's hand. "Because I believe you are more than that." A look of confusion covered Loki's face, but he didn't pull away from Thor. "Indeed, you come from a race known for their treachery. That does not make you like they are. Why can you not be who you were before you knew your true identity as the Son of Laufey? You allow petty things to define who you are, when who you are is who you make yourself to be."

Loki dipped his head. Hard words as they were to hear, they rang true. "I do not wish to be a monster." he admitted.

"Then be the Loki I remember growing up with." Thor sighed softly. "And brother, I offer up an apology for anything I may have done in the past to make you feel less than my brother and closest friend."

Loki's head shot up, and he studied Thor's face for signs of this being a trick. His eyes narrowed. Thor seemed sincere in his apology. This was unexpected. Thor really had changed since the Allfather had cast him down to Midgard for a time.


	4. Chapter 4

  There are many times in life where one must stand at a crossroad and make a decision of which way to go that will change one's life forever. This was one of those moments. One road led to mending Loki's relationship with Thor and accepting his Jotun blood; the other road led him farther down the path of destruction, pain, and misery as he rejects all that Thor has done for him. It was tempting to hold to his grudge he had held close to his heart for so long and take the latter path. Thor might just be manipulating Loki for some ulterior motive. No, Loki thought. Thor was not one for deception and lies. That was Loki's reputation, one he was tired of having. It was wearisome to hold a grudge this long, no matter how just a cause it may have been. Loki also did not wish to be returned to the cell he had occupied in solitude. He was certain if he did not cooperate with Thor, and whatever plan Thor had for him, that he would be promptly returned to the dungeon.

  Loki took a deep breath. "And I am sorry, brother, for the pain I have caused you." Oddly enough, he realized he meant it. He didn't know if Thor would believe he was sincere. He hoped so, since this was also the first time he had called Thor his brother since learning the truth of his identity.  

Thor tried to hide his surprise, but failed miserably. He had not expected such a response from Loki. He was unsure of the apology's sincerity, but decided to accept the apology at face value. He rose from his seat and strode to the fireplace, leaning his broad arm on the mantle. Turning to look at his brother, he spoke. "Then I have your word that you shall do what I say, for I have vouched for you to father to release you from your cell."

  Loki brushed a lock of hair behind his ear and looked towards his brother. "I am in your debt. I shall do as you request of me." He paused, then asked, "what is it that I am to do?"  

"You are to come with me to Midgard. There, we will live with the Metal Man in his glass tower. In this time, you shall help the mortals as they require assistance." Thor's voice softened. "As many lives as you have destroyed, you shall also save."

  "This is no small task." Loki smiled wide in disbelief at the extraordinary request made if him.

  "Verily. It is not meant to be easy. You must pay for the chaos you have wrought." Thor paused. "I can rescind the offer if you are not up to the challenge."  

"I will do it." Loki quickly replied. He had no intention of going back down to Odin's prison.  

"Then come, get dressed. We must go immediately. The mortals need us." Thor left the room, giving Loki time to clothe himself.  

Loki tried to dress down, so he would appear less alien, but Asgardian fashion rendered his clothing ostentatious set against the plain clothing of humans. The fabric of his outfit was green, as always. He was wearing his full-length black leather jacket, a favorite of his. And finally, he wore several pieces of ornately engraved pieces of gold metal as protection. Loki reasoned that he needed something to gird himself with in case he would be unwelcome on Midgard, which he would most likely be.  

Loki stepped outside of his chambers, shutting the door behind him. This may be the last time I walk these halls, he thought. There was no way of knowing if he would ever be allowed to come back as a free man. Loki set his jaw in determination. Leaving to live on Midgard was giving him a second chance, one he would not squander away. He would change. He had to.  

Thor walked up to Loki. "Are you ready to leave?"  

"I am." Loki took a deep breath. "Are you not going to tell The Allfather-" he tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice, "we are leaving?"  

"I bid farewell to father as you dressed." Thor ignored Loki's tone. He knew it would take time for old wounds to heal.  

With a nod and a wave of his hands, Loki worked his magic. A plume of grey smoke surrounded he and Thor as they began to vanish from the Asgardian corridor. Within seconds, the two stood in the foyer of Stark Tower in Midgard.  "Welcome back, Thor." Tony Stark's artificial intelligence unit JARVIS said, responding to their presence. "Have you brought a guest?"  

"Greetings, ethereal voice! I have returned from Asgard with my brother. Tell the other Avengers that I mean to speak with them in the assembly room below." Thor grasped his hammer in one hand and Loki in the other. He didn't trust that Loki wouldn't go off and wreck havoc again.  

"Certainly, sir."  

Thor took Loki down a flight of stairs to the assembly room. This was a new addition to Stark Tower as a headquarters of sorts for the Avengers. The room was below ground, and had heavily reinforced walls. The walls were a steel grey, and furnishings inside the room were limited to a large table and numerous chairs seated around it. The table was an original Stark creation, incorporating JARVIS and other gizmos into the surface. Thor wasn't sure what all the table was capable of. Human technology was still very foreign to him.   

He lead Loki over to one of the chairs. "Sit." he commanded. Loki obliged, and Thor quickly placed his hammer on Loki's lap before he could get back up again.

  Loki looked down at Mjolnir in his lap, then looked back up at Thor. "Is this really necessary?" he asked, grinning.

  "It is for your own protection. I risk much by bringing you here. The others will not be as forgiving, I think, as I have."  

As Thor finished speaking, the group of heroes came into the assembly room, suited up, save for one, and ready for battle. The only one who was not suited up was Bruce Banner, who was lingering behind the others. Loki eyed him nervously, knowing that at a moment's notice, Bruce could turn into the Hulk. He winced, remembering what Hulk had done to him last time they had come face to face. 

"What the hell are you doing, Thor?" Tony Stark asked from inside his Iron Man suit. He pointed at Loki. "He was supposed to be facing Asgardian justice."  

"Doesn't look much like justice to me." Clint Barton, or Hawkeye, as he was also known, spoke up. He had an arrow aimed at Loki's skull.  

Thor raised his hands. "Please, allow me to explain."  

"I don't think there's much to explain." Barton shot back.   

Steve Rogers, stepped forward between the other Avengers and Thor. He was in his street clothes, but held his shield by his side, ready to use it at a moment's notice. "Easy, now. There doesn't have to be a fight-yet." He pointed to Loki's lap. "Look, Loki is not going anywhere underneath Thor's hammer. I think we can at least hear them out."  

"People are dead because of him." Stark trained his palm repulsors on Loki.  

"Stand down, Tony." Steve said firmly.   

Despite not being able to see Stark's face underneath his Iron Man helmet, Thor could see he was struggling to decide whether to listen to Rogers or the desire to kill Loki. After several tense seconds, Stark backed down, which in turn, made everyone else do the same.  

"Fine. But we just got rid of that lunatic, so Point Break better have a helluva reason for bringing him back." 

Tony, Bruce, Clint, and Natasha all sat down across from Thor and Loki at the table. Steve remained standing, making sure both sides stayed calm.  

"I come here to ask if I may trespass on your kindness." Thor began.  

"I think you already have." Clint spoke up, fiddling with his arrows and shooting Loki a look that may as well have been an arrow in his eye socket. Natasha poked him in the ribs, quieting him. 

Steve shot her a look of gratitude.  "What is going on Thor? Why did you bring Loki back?" Steve asked calmly.  He was skeptical himself, but someone had to play devil's advocate and hear the Asgardian out.

"I brought Loki with me because he is being punished." Thor paused and glanced around at his friend's faces. He was losing his audience quickly. "I know, it doesn't sound like punishment, but if you will allow me to explain..."  

So Thor did. He explained the prison, Loki's condition, the deal that was made, and Loki's agreement to come down and help others.  

"So let me get this straight." Tony flipped up his helmet to reveal his face. "You want us to take on an internationally known criminal and let him help us out, just because he says he's sorry?"  

"Well, yes." Thor said.  

Bruce leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. "Thor, things work differently here than on Asgard. People go to prison for life or are put on death row for stuff like Loki did. The world isn't going to be happy that we are letting Loki walk free."  

"Plus Fury is going to have a field day when he finds out." Natasha pointed out.  

Steve stood quietly, thinking. "Hang on, wait." he said. "What if we do take him on?"

  "Have you got brain freeze, Cap? The guy's a criminal." Tony gave Steve a look that said he thought Steve had lost it-again.  

Steve was getting used to those looks. Tony, and the rest of the team, respected him and his wisdom, but sometimes he knew they still thought of him as old fashioned, with outdated notions.   He hoped they would listen to him now. "Think about it. People like Jamison still think the Avengers project is a group of vigilantes doing more harm than good. Helping Loki atone for the crimes he committed could help our public image and show we are here to help."

  "Could I say something?" A quiet voice came from behind Thor. It was Loki, still sitting in the chair with his brother's hammer in his lap. He had been listening to the exchange intently. When no one said anything, he continued. "What I did was wrong. I took my anger and misfortune out on the innocent lives of this realm. And for my crimes, I am deeply sorry. My apologies do not bring the dead back or make things as they were, I know." Loki looked down at the floor. "I don't know if my words will make any difference in your decision, and I respect whatever you decide, but please, allow me to prove myself worthy of your trust-the world's trust."  

The room was silent as they listened to Loki's heartfelt plead. "Well, what should we do? We have to make some sort of decision." Bruce said.  

Tony spoke up. "Much as I hate to say it, but Cap's right. We haven't exactly gotten much good press lately, despite all the good we have done. The world is going to go nuts over Reindeer Games being here, but hey, it can't get much worse, right?"  

"Maybe it won't be so bad if they see Loki working alongside us, helping, as Steve said." Natasha agreed. "After all, that's what Clint did for me." She gave Hawkeye a small smile. "If it hadn't been for him giving me a second chance when no one else would, I'd be dead."  

Clint returned Natasha's smile with a pained one of his own. She had made a good point that hit home for him. He still held a grudge with Loki. 

"So do we put it to a vote?"  "All in favor say aye." said Steve.  

"Aye." five voices spoke at once.  

"All opposed?" There was no response. 

  "Then it is settled? Loki can stay here?" Thor asked.

  Steve answered him. "We will give him a chance. ONE chance. I think I speak for all of us though when I say if he begins to return to his old behavior, he must leave."  

Thor nodded. "He shall be dealt with accordingly if this is to happen." He paused. "Metal Man, what room shall Loki be granted?"  

Tony sighed. "He can have that spare room on level twelve, I guess."  

Thor took his hammer back from his brother's lap. Loki stood up from his chair, his legs aching a bit from the weight of Mjolnir. "I thank you for this chance at redemption. I am in your debt."  

As Thor and Loki left the room, the remaining Avengers looked at each other. Clint stood up and folded up his bow. "I hope we didn't just make the biggest mistake of our lives."   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Loki wandered around his new apartment, investigating everything. Many of the things deemed essential to the fully furnished apartment were foreign to him. One look inside the kitchen was like sneaking a peek into another realm. Everything ran on some sort of magic. No, not magic, Loki corrected himself. Thor mentioned that the humans called it "science".

  He found himself in the bathroom in front of the oversized mirror that was hanging over the sink. The appearance of him with a beard was unsettling. With a wave of his hand, the beard disappeared. He ran his hand over his now-smooth chin. That was better.  He winced as his hand brushed across this mouth. The wounds from the threads that had closed his lips just a few hours ago had all but healed because of his enhanced alien biology. He raised his hand, intending to wipe any trace of the scars from his face, but he stopped. Lowering his hand, he sighed and locked his eyes onto his reflection. Today was a day of redemption, and these scars would serve as a daily reminder of who he used to be.


End file.
